viii, 80 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The author portraits from the Manesse Codex, a 14th-century compilation of German love lyrics, have traditionally been viewed as expendable illustrations to the accompanying texts. In fact, these paintings profoundly affected how contemporary readers would have understood the poems, thus helping shape social attitudes regarding the nature and meaning of authorship. Three specific images in the manuscript reveal various modulations in the patron's or artist's attitude towards authorship. The frontispiece for Der von Kiirenberg reconfigures a traditional motif to encourage an autobiographical understanding of his lyrics. Ulrich von Liechtenstein's image draws on sources outside the manuscript to promote a similar interpretation. In a third image, the poet Johannes Hadlaub, who appears to have participated in the making of the manuscript, deliberately exploits the image's ability to shape expectations of his status as an author by having himself depicted as if he had experienced the events described in his poetry. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Richard A. Sundt, Chair; Dr. James Harper; Dr. Lori Kruckenberg